60. Quality in tertiary / higher education is a multidimensional concept, which should embrace all its functions, and activities: teaching and academic programmes, research and scholarship, staffing, students, buildings, facilities, equipment, services to the community and the academic environment. Internal self-evaluation and external review, conducted openly by independent specialists, if possible with international expertise, are vital for enhancing quality. Independent national bodies should be established and comparative standards of quality, recognized at international level, should be defined. Due attention should be paid to specific institutional, national and regional contexts in order to take into account diversity and to avoid uniformity. Stakeholders should be an integral part of the institutional evaluation process.

61. Quality also requires that tertiary / higher education should be characterized by its international dimension: exchange of knowledge, interactive networking, mobility of teachers and students, and international research projects, while taking into account the national cultural values and circumstances.

62. To attain and sustain national, regional or international quality, certain components are particularly relevant, notably careful selection of staff and continuous staff development, in particular through the promotion of appropriate programmes for academic staff development, including teaching/learning methodology and mobility between countries, between tertiary / higher education institutions, and between tertiary / higher education institutions and the world of work, as well as student mobility within and between countries. The new information technologies are an important tool in this process, owing to their impact on the acquisition of knowledge and know-how.

63. The rapid breakthroughs in new information and communication technologies will further change the way knowledge is developed, acquired and delivered. It is also important to note that the new technologies offer opportunities to innovate on course content and teaching methods and to widen access to tertiary / higher learning. However, it should be borne in mind that new information technology does not reduce the need for teachers but changes their role in relation to the learning process and that the continuous dialogue that converts information into knowledge and understanding becomes fundamental. Tertiary / higher education institutions should lead in drawing on the advantages and potential of new information and communication technologies, ensuring quality and maintaining high standards for education practices and outcomes in a spirit of openness, equity and international co-operation by:

64. Engaging in networks, technology transfer, capacity-building, developing teaching materials and sharing experience of their application in teaching, training and research, and making knowledge accessible to all;

65. Creating new learning environments, ranging from distance education facilities to complete virtual tertiary / higher education institutions and systems, capable of bridging distances and developing high-quality systems of education, thus serving social and economic advancement and democratization as well as other relevant priorities of society, while ensuring that these virtual education facilities, based on regional, continental or global networks, function in a way that respects cultural and social identities;

66. Noting that, in making full use of information and communication technology (ICT) for educational purposes, particular attention should be paid to removing the grave inequalities which exist among and also within the countries of the world with regard to access to new information and communication technologies and to the production of the corresponding resources;

67. Adapting ICT to national, regional and local needs and securing technical, educational, management and institutional systems to sustain it;

68. Facilitating, through international co-operation, the identification of the objectives and interests of all countries, particularly the developing countries, equitable access and the strengthening of infrastructures in this field and the dissemination of such technology throughout society;

69. Closely following the evolution of the ‘knowledge society’ in order to ensure high quality and equitable regulations for access to prevail;

70. Taking the new possibilities created by the use of ICTs into account, while realizing that it is, above all, institutions of tertiary / higher education that are using ICTs in order to modernize their work, and not ICTs transforming institutions of tertiary / higher education from real to virtual institutions.

71. The management and financing of tertiary / higher education require the development of appropriate planning and policy-analysis capacities and strategies, based on partnerships established between tertiary / higher education institutions and state and national planning and co-ordination bodies, so as to secure appropriately streamlined management and the cost-effective use of resources. Tertiary / higher education institutions should adopt forward-looking management practices that respond to the needs of their environments. Managers in tertiary / higher education must be responsive, competent and able to evaluate regularly, by internal and external mechanisms, the effectiveness of procedures and administrative rules.

72. Tertiary / higher education institutions must be given autonomy to manage their internal affairs, but with this autonomy must come clear and transparent accountability to the government, legislature, students and the wider society.

73. The ultimate goal of management should be to enhance the institutional mission by ensuring high-quality teaching, training and research, and services to the community. This objective requires governance that combines social vision, including understanding of global issues, with efficient managerial skills. Leadership in tertiary / higher education is thus a major social responsibility and can be significantly strengthened through dialogue with all stakeholders, especially teachers and students, in tertiary / higher education. The participation of teaching faculty in the governing bodies of tertiary / higher education institutions should be taken into account, within the framework of current institutional arrangements, bearing in mind the need to keep the size of these bodies within reasonable bounds.

74. The promotion of North-South co-operation to ensure the necessary financing for strengthening tertiary / higher education in the developing countries is essential.

The funding of tertiary / higher education requires both public and private resources. The role of the government remains essential in this regard.

75. The diversification of funding sources reflects the support that society provides to tertiary / higher education and must be further strengthened to ensure the development of tertiary / higher education, increase its efficiency and maintain its quality and relevance. Public support for tertiary / higher education and research remains essential to ensure a balanced achievement of educational and social missions.

76. Society as a whole must support education at all levels, including tertiary / higher education, given its role in promoting sustainable economic, social and cultural development. Mobilization for this purpose depends on public awareness and involvement of the public and private sectors of the economy, legislature, the media, governmental and non-governmental organizations, students as well as institutions, families and all the social actors involved with tertiary / higher education.

77. The principle of solidarity and true partnership amongst tertiary / higher education institutions worldwide is crucial for education and training in all fields that encourage an understanding of global issues, the role of democratic governance and skilled human resources in their resolution, and the need for living together with different cultures and values. The practice of multilingualism, faculty and student exchange programmes and institutional linkage to promote intellectual and scientific co-operation should be an integral part of all tertiary / higher education systems.

78. The principles of international co-operation based on solidarity, recognition and mutual support, true partnership that equitably serves the interests of the partners and the value of sharing knowledge and know-how across borders should govern relationships among tertiary / higher education institutions in both developed and developing countries and should benefit the least developed countries in particular. Consideration should be given to the need for safeguarding tertiary / higher education institutional capacities in regions suffering from conflict or natural disasters. Consequently, an international dimension should permeate the curriculum, and the teaching and learning processes.

79. Regional and international normative instruments for the recognition of studies should be ratified and implemented, including certification of the skills, competencies and abilities of graduates, making it easier for students to change courses, in order to facilitate mobility within and between national systems.

80. The ‘brain drain’ has yet to be stemmed, since it continues to deprive the developing countries and those in transition, of the high-level expertise necessary to accelerate their socio-economic progress. International co-operation schemes should be based on long-term partnerships between institutions in the South and the North, and also promote South-South co-operation. Priority should be given to training programmes in the developing countries, in centres of excellence forming regional and international networks, with short periods of specialized and intensive study abroad.

81. Consideration should be given to creating an environment conducive to attracting and retaining skilled human capital, either through national policies or international arrangements to facilitate the return - permanent or temporary - of highly trained scholars and researchers to their countries of origin. At the same time, efforts must be directed towards a process of ‘brain gain’ through collaboration programmes that, by virtue of their international dimension, enhance the building and strengthening of institutions and facilitate full use of endogenous capacities.

82. Partnership and alliances amongst stakeholders - national and institutional policy-makers, teaching and related staff, researchers and students, and administrative and technical personnel in institutions of tertiary / higher education, the world of work, community groups - is a powerful force in managing change. Also, non-governmental organizations are key actors in this process. Henceforth, partnership, based on common interest, mutual respect and credibility, should be a prime matrix for renewal in tertiary / higher education.

Let us adopt this Declaration and reaffirms the right of all people to education and the right of access to tertiary / higher education based on individual merit and capacity.

Let us pledge to act together within the frame of our individual and collective responsibilities, by taking all necessary measures in order to realize the principles concerning tertiary / higher education contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the Convention against Discrimination in Education.

Let us solemnly reaffirm the commitment to peace. To that end, let us determine to accord high priority to education for reducing peacelessness, unemployment, pollution and intolerance.

Let us adopt, therefore, this Declaration on Tertiary / Higher Education and Development. To achieve the goals set forth in this Declaration and, in particular, for immediate action, and let us agree on the following Framework for Priority Action for Change and Development of tertiary / higher education.